


RWBY character anthology

by Effenay



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Childhood Memories, Early in Canon, Other, Past life, Pre-Canon, Spoilers for Volumes 1-4, character anthology
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-02-06 15:45:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12820776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Effenay/pseuds/Effenay
Summary: A short collection of short one-shots; character study; scenarios & drabbles. Each chapter focusing on one or two characters in RWBY.Character lists may expand in the future.





	1. Journey (Ozpin)

Year after year, the seasons pass like a wind to a breeze. From the years of plenty, to the years of famine, the same soul forges his existence into each generation.

Lonely was his journey; yesterday, today, and the day before yesterday. Old friends and enemies alike withered like a fruit in decay. Gone were the days when his mind remained an innocent soul; gone were the days when his soul still held a singular form. All of what was left, were the days of lament and mourn; all of what was left, was one single resolve.

For centuries he had countless of names; Ozborne; Ozias; Ozelle; Ozora; for every soul he merged, all of what remains of his former selves was that unwavering goal.

“Who are you now? Ozpin, or Ozymandias?”

The stead-fast warrior asked him as he offered his hand to the old soul.

“I cannot say.”

He answered, for he could no longer hear the voice of his other half.

His companion quirked a brow, his silver eyes pointing at him in question. And with a sigh, the silver-eyed warrior spoke;

“You know what? I’m just going to call you ‘Oz’ from this point. It’s shorter than Ozymandias anyway. That way, regardless of who I’m talking to, I won’t have to worry about getting the names wrong.”

The old soul sadly chuckled;

“You don’t have to trouble yourself with that any longer.”

Yes, his journey is a long one.

A long, winding path that never ceases, passing the torch from soul to soul; so that the light will never go out.


	2. Night (Oscar Pine)

He gasped violently as he sat up, a cold sweat trickled down from his forehead. The last time Oscar woke up like this was on that morning when he first saw Ozpin on his own reflection.

 _‘There could only be one explanation,’_ he thought _._

“Ozpin?” he asked his other half.

The old soul didn’t reply.

“Are you… was that… your dream that we were having just then?”

_**‘… I think you already know the answer to that.’** _

Oscar sucked in his breath and gave out a tired sigh. Even without Ozpin telling him, Oscar already sensed the professor’s weariness. He pushed back the quilt off of him, slid off the bed and made his way out the door.

 ** _‘Don’t stray too far,_ ’ **Ozpin’s voice echoed in his mind.

“I won’t.”

He padded his bare feet onto the floor boards carefully, headed his way to the backdoor while carrying his boots in one hand. By the time he reached the door, he stealthily slipped on his boots as he tried not to make a sound.

A small thump reverberated the floor, bringing him to turn his head around. There he saw a pair of silver eyes reflecting the small light that she held in her hand.

“Oscar?” Ruby asked with a low, tired voice. “What are you doing here?”

“Ah..um…” the boy stammered. “I just needed a breath of fresh air. Sorry… if I woke you up.”

“No,” she shook her head. “Its fine. Its just that I need to tell you that you shouldn’t go out there around this time of the night.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to walk too far from here-”

“-No, that’s not it,” she interjected.

Oscar then saw her face shift into a melancholic expression.

“That’s not it,” she repeated. “It’s just that… Jaune’s… training by himself outside at the moment…”

Ruby then lowered her head woefully.

“Ruby?”

“It’d be best that you shouldn’t disturb him.”

In the back of his mind, Oscar heard a feint murmur from the old soul, as if the late professor managed to put two and two together. Oscar on the other hand, felt an unfounded sense of guilt and concern wash over him.

“What’s wrong?” the boy asked.

After a short, but hesitant pause, Ruby steadily approached him and grabbed his wrist gently, gesturing him to follow her. The tips of her fingers felt cold on his skin whilst the palm of her hand emanated a gentle warmth. Without a word, she led him towards the closest window in a slow and silent motion. As they walked further along, Oscar could faintly hear the sound of a male voice’s cry, followed by the sound of air being cut by an strong force.

By the time she reached towards a window, she stepped aside for Oscar to see what was happening outside.

There Oscar could vaguely see the familiar stature of Jaune Arc, swinging his sword with an incredible amount of force. For a while, Oscar stood in silence, watching Jaune slashing his sword in the air in his battle form. And then, in the corner of his eye, Oscar caught a glimpse of Ruby’s hand clenched right close to her chest. When he looked up, her eyes were transfixed on Jaune’s stances, a wash of saddened emotions reflected on her face.

There were no words to say at that moment, as neither one of them felt it was appropriate to speak. Even without Oscar’s notice, Ozpin then slipped through and took over Oscar within that instant, placing a hand onto Ruby’s shoulder in a kindly, comforting gesture.

Ruby turned her head towards Oscar and noticed the change in the boy’s expression and demeanour. It didn’t take long for her to realise it was Ozpin who was present now.

“ **Go back to bed now, Miss Rose** ,” the professor then said as he turned his back towards the window. “ **We’ll be having a long day ahead of us**.”

Without waiting for a reply, the old soul then returned his authority back to Oscar. The very moment he switched back to Oscar, the boy then noticed his hand on her shoulder and jerked as he put his hand away.

“Ah…” his voice cracked in panic. “Sorry.”

The mere gesture of it brought a small giggle out of the silver-eyed girl. Just like that, Oscar felt a small sense of relief to see her saddened eyes lifted a little into a small cheer. He in turn chuckled a little out of embarrassment and then turned back towards the window. Ruby then turned back to the window as well as she said;

“Ever since we’ve been travelling, he’s been doing this by himself without anyone’s notice. He doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

She briefly lowered her chin, and then turned to the boy with as she quickly added;

“Oh, but, if you needed to go outside for a little while, you could go, um, but, just try not to disturb Jaune until… well, you know-”

“Okay,” Oscar nodded. “Well, I guess I’ll just go back to bed and-”

The backdoor then squeaked open, which was then followed by Jaune entering the room. The very minute Jaune’s eyes spotted the two, his eyes widened briefly, only to relax with a faint smile.

“What are you guys doing up so late?” he asked.

In reply, Ruby and Oscar nervously laughed as if they were caught in the middle of some mischievous act.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ren and Nora poked their heads out from the corner of the hallway to spy on what had just taken place.


	3. The clock strikes at 12 (Cinder Fall)

Pretty looks; porcelain features. Beauty was the first thing she was endowed with.

Men showered her with praises; naive boys and girls falling to their knees. The golden-eyed girl smirked at their foolish bravado. Of all the pairs of eyes that fell on her, girls of her age held a distinct disdain from her presence. At first, they cornered her; demanded her to stay away or disappear from their lives.

And yet.

As their threats grew harsher, she too, grew wiser in handling such petty things. With a flick of a wrist; with a good word; she was safely whisked away from the reach of her perpetrators. And for a while, she would settle into some naive host’s home, make nice and leave at the stroke of midnight. Of course, she never failed to show her gratitude to her hosts, and would always leave a note or a shoe; a blade or mark.

After a while she honed her skills, cursing her weaknesses each time along the way.

 _I want to be strong,_ she told herself.

_I want to be feared._

_I want to be powerful._

She denied all forms of weaknesses, as she continued to hone her skills; stealing techniques, weaving dust into clothing and analysing her opponents’ weaknesses. And in her pursuit of her own growth, there, she met the one who embodied everything that she asked for.

Red veins that crawled up from her limbs to her face; her eyes emanating that other-worldly glow. Hair pinned and adorned in jewels; her clothes clad in black as she strode with majesty and integrity.

“Tell me child,” said the pale-woman. “What is your name?”

The girl smiled with a devious grin.

“My name is Cinder.” 


	4. Summer Witch (RWBY OC)

The summer maiden curved her lips into a smile, stretching out her limbs in the air at the thought of the task that has been handed to her.

As a child, she had always thought that her semblance was a wildcard without a clear distinction. Fire, summoning rain, moving objects here and there with a flick of her wrist; she knew that she was different, yet, not.

Having briefed of the truth that her semblance was no more than magic from an ancient past shocked her. Though as strange as it was, she wasn’t frightened at the thought of carrying out her tasks.

The ashen-haired man before her woefully watched her beaming eyes. By now, she was made aware of the burden of responsibility that was tasked to her.

“Don’t be like that, old man,” the summer maiden smiled. “To be granted this power, I just feel like I might be able to to something worth while for once.”

“A maiden’s power can only put your life at risk,” the withered man gravely warned. “I ask that you should consider carrying out your task with caution.”

“Saving an entire village from grimm isn’t exactly easy to do from the shadows, you know,” the Summer maiden spoke in an unusually chirpy manner. “You know what the villages call me? The _‘Summer witch’_ of Anima. The very sound of it makes it so much more rewarding than to be nameless.”

“I know,” the man gave her a stern look. “I am well aware of it. But the more you carry out your duties with the hopes of earning feats of valor, the more you will be placed under scrutiny by the public. Not to mention, at this rate, you will be drawing unwanted attention from none other than Salem herself.”

“Relax,” the maiden patted the old man’s shoulder. “I know what I’m doing.”

The grey man shook his head, his fear clearly reflected in his eyes. “Your predecessor did her very best to hide from prying eyes, and yet, she too almost met her fate many times before.”

The maiden then sighed, realizing that he wouldn’t let this issue go that easily, no matter how many times she would try to assure him.

“Fine,” she said defeatedly. “I’ll be more careful.”

* * *

Despite her words, it became more and more apparent that everything that Ozpin had feared almost came true. For every grimm attack that occurs, more and more villagers seemed to spot her. Every conflict that arises, the villagers would later turn to the her, asking for her guidance and apparent wisdom that she knew didn’t possess.

Over time, she could no longer move freely without being seen. Each passing village she walks across, she would be greeted by the pleas of desperate men, women and children alike. And yet, her pride enabled her to refuse to admit to that Ozpin was right.

And then, one fateful evening, hordes of grimm found its way towards a village, and the Summer maiden wasn’t present at the time of the attack. At the time, she had saved another village from a landslide that occurred at the same time. The surviving villagers had a dispute with the other neighboring village, accusing them for depriving the Summer witch from them when they needed her the most.

The summer maiden tried her best to ease the conflict, but the two villages refused to yield. Before any of them knew it, the matter had been blown out of proportion, and led to a series of skirmishes between them.

“What have I…” she lamented, crying before the old soul. “What have I done? If only I listened to you, none of this could have happened!”

The man said nothing, stroking her hair in comfort like a grandfather to his grandchild. Closing his eyes, and with a deep breath he spoke softly;

“Well then, child, do what you do best.”

The summer maiden raised her head, her eyes searching for answers from the old man’s cryptic words.

With a tired smile, the old soul said;

“You save them.”

* * *

After a long period of conflict, the villagers ceased their feud and united the surviving villagers together into one. And as a testament to this, one young man constructed a graveyard for those who fell victim to the feud. Over time, history had forgotten the village’s origins, as every new generation of villagers slowly neglect to pay their respects to the fallen. And for a time, the old soul, who, at the time had been residing in a new body, would visit one particular grave that remained unmarked. And for each visit, the old soul would grieve over the loss of a dear friend.

Though the village’s history have long been forgotten, one legend spoke of a Summer witch who sacrificed herself before the warring villagers, ending the conflict between them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Always wanted to try something like this, but I wasn’t confident in how the whole system of maidens and Ozpin works so… I tried to make it close to cannon as possible, based on the info that’s been presented.


	5. The Length of their Shadows (Ren & Nora)

As children, they were on the same length; from their heights to the length of their shadows.

And yet…

Wide strides and broad shoulders paled in comparison to her petite form.

Since when did their pace become so unmatched?

Nora struggled to walk the same pace as Ren; taking note of the subtle changes in his body.

In their earliest memories together, they walked the same stride. The same height; shared the same meals. The sense of comradery born out of a shared experience, from the loss and tragedy to the ostracised and outcasted.

To her, he was the first to shed light on her dark and isolating world.

To him, she was the first to demonstrate where inner strength lies.

Hand in hand, they were inseparable. Childless parents sought to adopt the boy, as he was most favourable and obedient. And yet, despite it all, he would not agree unless they took her in as well.

Hand in hand, they complimented each other. Over time, his learned how to be patient; as there was no one else who could keep up with her energy. And over time, Nora understood him the most, as she was the only one who could read his quiet expressions.

The first time their shadows were unmatched, Nora declared her first resolve.

“Hey Ren,” she declared with excitement. “From this point forward, we’re gonna be huntsmen!”

Though ever silent, he knew he needed to catch up. The ever-present changes in her physic, compared to the slowness of his growth, he saw her bloom into something far more than just a friend. Though troubled at first, afraid of the possible changes in their friendship, the words of his father taught him how to be brave in acceptance.

Following her resolve, he made the extra effort, whether it be training or chore-handling; he made it a point to find ways to catch up to her.

Before Nora ever realized it, Ren became more than just family to her. From the smallest gestures to the usual compliances, Ren never failed to match up with her antics.

As time passes, his existence grew ever more present, ever more diligent and something that could never be replaced by anyone else.

He read through her cheer and saw through her happy facade. Knowing her all too well that her grief that she once had was channelled through her hyper-activeness.

And upon acknowledging it, she knew that there was no one else but him that she could see spending her entire life with for the rest of her days.

The strides they made were unmatched. The height of his stature grew. Before they knew it, his shoulders broadened and her features blossomed.

As they looked back at the lengths of their shadows, hand in hand, they continued to walk in uneven strides.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t usually touch cannon couples. I feel like if ever ships I don’t really mind/care about become canon I don’t often make fanstuff out of them. But, rewatching volume 4, I couldn’t help but imagine the things that they went through to get this far. So, yeah. I hope you enjoyed this piece. But I must admit, I feel as though this one’s not my best piece.


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